By Hannah Kim
With the new lift on the mask mandate for fully-vaccinated citizens, there is a dichotomy between those who are for and against them. Despite some who are overjoyed at the thought of returning to normalcy, others feel as though the lift will endanger the safety of the unvaccinated members of society. A large portion of NHP's student population has a blended view of the positives and negatives of the updated rule.
“I’m relieved because it shows that this COVID-19 situation is getting better. I think crowded areas should still regulate masks, since many people haven’t taken the vaccine yet,” said junior Ingrid Chu.
“This is the best vaccine ever made, and people need to get past this awful year of fear and move on with their lives...”
“I feel that the lift on the mask mandate is great progress to returning to a sense of normalcy. As someone who just got their first dose, I am excited to re-experience some of the things that I couldn’t do when the pandemic was in full swing. Although I'm happy with the news, I still feel we should be very cautious in how we proceed to ensure that we don’t have another massive outbreak. As far as location goes, I believe there should be more restrictions in areas that have many cases and the opposite is true for locations with fewer cases,” said freshman Ethan Mehta.
“The lift of the mask mandate is an exciting measure for those of us who are fully vaccinated. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are few ways to tell if people are being honest about their vaccination status since unfortunately the honor system isn’t enough to rely on in a situation such as this one. Location definitely does matter since some areas have higher/lower vaccination rates and case numbers than others. Luckily, here in New York we have relatively high vaccination rates and relatively little opposition to being vaccinated,” said senior Khushi Shah.
“...there are few ways to tell if people are being honest about their vaccination status since unfortunately the honor system isn’t enough to rely on...”
"I feel happy about the mask mandate being lifted because it brings a sense of normalcy back into our lives. I do feel slightly uncomfortable about it being lifted though because it is largely based on the honor system in many places, and people can easily lie to not have to wear a mask. I think that location matters when talking about the mask mandate because it is very unsafe if people pretend to be fully vaccinated to not wear a mask on a bus, plane, or anyplace where there is limited space," said freshman Sania Daniyal.
“I’m totally fine with it. I’m somewhat excited and relieved that we are possibly moving in the right direction to ‘normality,’ but also a little nervous. On one hand, I feel that this could be a great thing. I’ve heard many people say that they will get vaccinated if they don’t have to wear masks anymore, so I feel that this encourages more people to get vaccinated. However, I’m also nervous that this will create an issue where people are faking vaccinations or people start to become irresponsible once again and non-vaccinated people do not feel the need to wear a mask anymore. As for location, I feel like it is very important. I’m worried about crowded indoor settings such as schools and stores where people could be walking around unvaccinated and unmasked. It’s unfair to the people who are taking the proper safety precautions and have been for the past year and a half. I think what is often overlooked is that many people are suffering from this pandemic because of the irresponsible actions of some, which is why it’s so important to get vaccinated,” said freshman Fiona O’Reilly.
“...I am absolutely in favor of lifting the mask mandate....”
“I feel that it is progress for everyone to start getting fully vaccinated and the mask mandate has been lifted. However, I’m not fully comfortable removing my mask in crowded areas no matter how many people are vaccinated there. Location definitely matters to me because if I was with one or two close friends I wouldn’t wear a mask as opposed to being in a mall or a concert. Personally, I will still be wearing masks until everyone has been fully vaccinated and it is 100% safe,” said seventh grader Nuha Kotwal.
Although many had mixed feelings about the lift on the mask mandate, others had more direct opinions on its possible impacts.
Source by Sabeena Ramdarie
After the CDC recently updated their guidelines on when wearing masks is mandated, people are experiencing mixed emotions, wondering if this decision was made too hastily or not.
“As a strong believer in science and the marvelous engineering of the mRNA virus, I am absolutely in favor of lifting the mask mandate. Apart from places that still require me to wear a mask, I go maskless, including the gym. Just as no one is worried about contracting polio or smallpox or measles, mumps, or rubella because they are vaccinated, they should not give COVID-19 another thought. This is the best vaccine ever made, and people need to get past this awful year of fear and move on with their lives. I am celebrating the lifting of the mask mandate, and I hope the rest of society too can feel safe again because of the vaccine,” said science teacher Ms. Gelber.
“I’m worried about crowded indoor settings such as schools and stores where people could be walking around unvaccinated and unmasked...”
“I’m worried about the mask lift because there is no real way to ensure that people who don’t wear masks are vaccinated. It would be hard to go up to any unmasked person and ask them for vaccination proof. Being in school, it might be easier to ensure that people are vaccinated, but the mandate is especially worrisome in other public places where data isn’t tracked,” said sophomore David Ren.
“I feel uncomfortable because COVID-19 is still a risk, and I think it was done too early. We also can’t ask someone if they’re vaccinated or unvaccinated. The virus doesn’t completely eliminate the threat of getting the illness, but, rather, just lessens the likelihood of getting it. The mask is the main weapon to this battle, and without it, a lot of people are left defenseless,” said eighth grader Aayan Ahmed.
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